News

Communication and Information Sector's news service

15-05-2008 (Kabul) Kabul Weekly goes online
Kabul Weekly is a publishing phenomenon: it is the most widely distributed newspaper in Afghanistan, both in the centre and in the provinces. It is now also available online: http://www.kw.af/.

15-05-2008 (Quito) World Press Freedom Day celebration ended in Quito
Within the framework of its worldwide programme of activities to commemorate World Press Freedom Day this year, UNESCO, in collaboration with the Social Communication Faculty (FACSO) of the Central University of Ecuador, convened a forum-conference on “Press Freedom: Access, participation and alternative and public service media”, which closed last week in Quito, Ecuador.

06-05-2008 (New York) UNESCO’s New York Office commemorates World Press Freedom Day
UNESCO’s New York Office commemorated World Press Freedom Day with a keynote speech by Justice Albie Sachs, a chief architect of South Africa’s post-apartheid Constitution, on "Access to information and the empowerment of people."

06-05-2008 (Paris) More power to people through freedom of information
Some 150 media professionals from around the world adopted a declaration emphasizing the importance of freedom of expression and free access to information to participatory democracy at the close of a two-day conference entitled “Freedom of Expression, Access to Information and the Empowerment of People” in Maputo.

30-04-2008 (Paris) IPDC Bureau approves financing for 70 media development projects in 50 developing countries
The IPDC Bureau decided to support 70 new media development projects in 50 developing countries at its 52nd annual meeting, which was held at UNESCO Headquarters from 23 to 25 April 2008. A total of almost two million US dollars was allocated to the projects, which aim to help local media organizations expand opportunities for free, independent and pluralistic media in their respective countries and regions.

25-04-2008 (Kingston) Media Archives in the Caribbean Receive Boost through IPDC Support
Four media archives in Barbados and St Kitts and Nevis are now undergoing face-lifts with the implementation of digitisation and preservation projects supported by UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC). The projects involve the training of media professionals and workers and upgrading of equipment.

23-04-2008 (Paris) World Press Freedom Day celebration to focus on access to information and empowerment
Mexican freelance investigative journalist Lydia Cacho Ribeiro will receive this year’s UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize in a ceremony UNESCO is organizing in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, to mark World Press Freedom Day, 3 May. The celebration of the Day will focus on access to information and empowerment, the subject of a conference entitled Freedom of Expression, Access to Information and the Empowerment of People, on 2 and 3 May.

21-04-2008 (Paris) UNESCO supported Photo Sudan Network website launched
Sudan’s first photo agency is now online. Photo Sudan Network launched its official website on 15 April 2008. UNESCO's support and financing for this unique project has brought together a group of highly talented independent photographers dealing with documentary, corporate, reportage, journalism, fine art and educational subjects.

18-04-2008 (Kingston) Prison community radio: FREE FM streams live online
On 15 April 2008, FREE FM, the first and only prison community radio in the Caribbean, moved its transmission beyond the walls of the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre to the world through the participation in the Caribbean Community Internet Radio Portal (CIRP).

17-04-2008 (Paris) IFAP Council has more time to revise new strategic plan
Delegates to the 179th session of UNESCO's Executive Board, which ends today at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, postponed the decision on the item concerning the Strategic Plan of the Information for All Programme (IFAP) to its next session.

16-04-2008 (Paris) UNESCO's IFAP to measure information literacy
UNESCO's Information for All Programme (IFAP) releases a paper providing a basic conceptual framework for measuring information literacy. Entitled Towards information literacy indicators, the publication includes a definition of information literacy; a model that links information literacy with other adult competences, such as ICT skills; and a description of information literacy standards in education.

15-04-2008 (Paris) Rabat children's hospital inaugurates an educational multimedia space
UNESCO and the French association Docteur Souris (Doctor Mouse) launch today an educational multimedia space at the Rabat children's hospital in Morocco. It took one year to prepare premises, install computer systems, adapt the interface to Arabic language and culture, and train a local team. The cyberspace offers 15 laptops, a wifi Internet connection, educational space dedicated to young patients, as well as an animated interface in Arabic for small children.

15-04-2008 (Paris) United Nations University joins UNESCO's Open Training Platform
The United Nations University (UNU) is the ninth UN agency to join the Open Training Platform (OTP). This UNESCO-powered hub offers free training resources on 21 development topics, fostering cooperation to provide free and open content for development.

14-04-2008 (Quito) Strengthening the automation of cultural heritage archives
Within the framework of UNESCO’s Project "An E-Government Model for World Heritage Cities - Cartagena de Indias (Colombia), Quito (Ecuador) and Cusco (Peru)," launched by the Information for All Programme (IFAP) in 2006, the Organization is convening a workshop on "Documenting Technologies for Cultural Heritage Collections" in Quito, from 16 to 18 April 2008.

08-04-2008 (Montevideo) UNESCO promotes use of free software in Latin America and the Caribbean
UNESCO Office in Montevideo, Uruguay, in cooperation with the network of Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) in Latin America and the Caribbean, published the Guía práctica sobre software libre: su selección y aplicación local en América Latina y el Caribe (Guidelines on free software: how to choose it and apply it locally in Latin America and the Caribbean).

07-04-2008 (New Delhi) UNESCO publishes a book on Open Access to Knowledge in South Asia
UNESCO Office in New Delhi has released Open Access to Knowledge and Information: Scholarly Literature and Digital Library Initiatives – the South Asian Scenario. This book illustrates South Asian initiatives on open access to information and knowledge. It has its genesis in the recommendations and proceedings of UNESCO-supported international conferences and workshops.

04-04-2008 (New Delhi) UNESCO helps preserve Indian documentary heritage
A UNESCO-supported project “Preservation and Conservation of Rare Documents of St. Xavier’s College Library, Kolkata” has recently been completed. Several thousands of pages of rare documents from the College library have been recovered, preserved and digitised.